Thursday, November 30, 2006
Officially Out of the Christmas Card Business
I am officially out of the Christmas card business. I've ALWAYS sent them, even to people I see often (several times a week), and even to people I haven't seen in years and years. I've NEVER handed them out; I've always mailed them. On average I might send 90 or 100 each year, many (but not all) with a handwritten message inside that went beyond the "Best Wishes..." signature. Several dozen would be to friends in the states and overseas. I always organized them starting on Remembrance Day, and mailed them on December 1st.
The cost of the stationary and postage, not that it really matters, would be around $1.50 a card more or less. I would buy cards at post-Christmas sales and try to get cheap ones that didn't look cheap (always a challenge; many times my cards DID look cheap). I always organized them and wrote them myself, no co-signatures.
And I LOVE getting Christmas cards. I especially love getting the cards that are like a family photo, or when someone has stuck in a photo. I love that. I love seeing what people's kids look like, year after year. And their pets! I love when someone tells me about the changes in their life.
But, for me, I no longer do this.
No that's a lie. I still do it. I sent exactly 8 Christmas cards this year. And I shall tell you about them. None of these people are "hooked up to the internet" as they might say. Well, one is in that she has email and shops online. She's probably the youngest person I sent a card to, and she's gotta be 60. Let's see: My last living uncle (the priest) in Pembroke. My mother's two favourite cousins: one in Pembroke, one in Chapeau, Quebec (yes that's right, "Hat", Quebec). My favourite priest (not my uncle but his friend), in Deep River. My older lady friend in Santa Monica. My other older lady friend in Florida. My former cleaning lady in the Azores. Nick's Uncle Harold outside of Nottingham. That is all.
I sent my cards this morning.
I am officially out of the Christmas card business. I've ALWAYS sent them, even to people I see often (several times a week), and even to people I haven't seen in years and years. I've NEVER handed them out; I've always mailed them. On average I might send 90 or 100 each year, many (but not all) with a handwritten message inside that went beyond the "Best Wishes..." signature. Several dozen would be to friends in the states and overseas. I always organized them starting on Remembrance Day, and mailed them on December 1st.
The cost of the stationary and postage, not that it really matters, would be around $1.50 a card more or less. I would buy cards at post-Christmas sales and try to get cheap ones that didn't look cheap (always a challenge; many times my cards DID look cheap). I always organized them and wrote them myself, no co-signatures.
And I LOVE getting Christmas cards. I especially love getting the cards that are like a family photo, or when someone has stuck in a photo. I love that. I love seeing what people's kids look like, year after year. And their pets! I love when someone tells me about the changes in their life.
But, for me, I no longer do this.
No that's a lie. I still do it. I sent exactly 8 Christmas cards this year. And I shall tell you about them. None of these people are "hooked up to the internet" as they might say. Well, one is in that she has email and shops online. She's probably the youngest person I sent a card to, and she's gotta be 60. Let's see: My last living uncle (the priest) in Pembroke. My mother's two favourite cousins: one in Pembroke, one in Chapeau, Quebec (yes that's right, "Hat", Quebec). My favourite priest (not my uncle but his friend), in Deep River. My older lady friend in Santa Monica. My other older lady friend in Florida. My former cleaning lady in the Azores. Nick's Uncle Harold outside of Nottingham. That is all.
I sent my cards this morning.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Two Girls
Zoé, when you were born your parents came to Ottawa and it was very wintry. I heard from your dad and was so excited to hear all about your mom and you and his hopes and dreams for your family. We thought that your dad would be a great person to work at my company and it turned out that he was amazing! I believe in magic because he helped me so much in Ottawa when my mom was really sick and I was driving back and forth to Toronto all the time and couldn't really do my job properly. Your mom and dad were my best friends in Ottawa.
You were a little girl who crawled around on the floor and even crawled on Hunter and Benson and they didn't even mind. A couple of times I was your babysitter but mostly you were asleep.
Then I moved back to Toronto and didn't see you guys anymore.
Then when your mom and dad got married I saw you do an amazing dance with your mom and dad - that was the very best part of the wedding! And Avery was there too but we couldn't really see her. I have never met Avery. I only saw her that time before she was born and then again in a little movie your dad made about teaching Avery how to ride a bike. I loved how Avery learned to ride and how you were dancing around.
I think you guys are magic.
Zoé, when you were born your parents came to Ottawa and it was very wintry. I heard from your dad and was so excited to hear all about your mom and you and his hopes and dreams for your family. We thought that your dad would be a great person to work at my company and it turned out that he was amazing! I believe in magic because he helped me so much in Ottawa when my mom was really sick and I was driving back and forth to Toronto all the time and couldn't really do my job properly. Your mom and dad were my best friends in Ottawa.
You were a little girl who crawled around on the floor and even crawled on Hunter and Benson and they didn't even mind. A couple of times I was your babysitter but mostly you were asleep.
Then I moved back to Toronto and didn't see you guys anymore.
Then when your mom and dad got married I saw you do an amazing dance with your mom and dad - that was the very best part of the wedding! And Avery was there too but we couldn't really see her. I have never met Avery. I only saw her that time before she was born and then again in a little movie your dad made about teaching Avery how to ride a bike. I loved how Avery learned to ride and how you were dancing around.
I think you guys are magic.
The Mangled Ear of Dr. Zaius
When I left for Florida Zaius has a very small sore in his ear about the diameter of my pinky fingernail. When I got back it was bloody, infected, and the size of a toonie. It's looking a lot better now after a treatment of prednisol and baytril.
Bad Ear
Good Ear
When I left for Florida Zaius has a very small sore in his ear about the diameter of my pinky fingernail. When I got back it was bloody, infected, and the size of a toonie. It's looking a lot better now after a treatment of prednisol and baytril.
Bad Ear
Good Ear
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
People Who Know People
It sometimes pays to look in the To: field on an email, particularly if the email has gone to a lot of other people. Sometimes you see a name that surprises you.
One time I got forwarded some joke or something that got forwarded many times, and it happened that it was sent to a lot of people in the telecommunications biz. As I scrolled down to see who I knew I happened to see a name I recognized from the distant past: Mike Popadiuk (sp??? I can't even remember how that motherfucker is spelled but I used to know and I knew, like The Highlander, there could only be one). The thing was that way back in the day this guy stiffed my company for a cheque that was issued in error and then he disappeared and was impossible to find (this predates the general use of the world wide web). I know because I was charged with calling around trying to find him. And suddenly, there he is on an email joke listing working for Telus or some shit. Too funny. So I emailed my former boss and let him know I found the stiff, finally (only, like, 7 years later).
I've also noticed some local celebrities names on various folks' emails and am always struck by the fact that someone I know knows, for instance, Erica Ehm, Sean Cullen or someone in The Barenaked Ladies.
It sometimes pays to look in the To: field on an email, particularly if the email has gone to a lot of other people. Sometimes you see a name that surprises you.
One time I got forwarded some joke or something that got forwarded many times, and it happened that it was sent to a lot of people in the telecommunications biz. As I scrolled down to see who I knew I happened to see a name I recognized from the distant past: Mike Popadiuk (sp??? I can't even remember how that motherfucker is spelled but I used to know and I knew, like The Highlander, there could only be one). The thing was that way back in the day this guy stiffed my company for a cheque that was issued in error and then he disappeared and was impossible to find (this predates the general use of the world wide web). I know because I was charged with calling around trying to find him. And suddenly, there he is on an email joke listing working for Telus or some shit. Too funny. So I emailed my former boss and let him know I found the stiff, finally (only, like, 7 years later).
I've also noticed some local celebrities names on various folks' emails and am always struck by the fact that someone I know knows, for instance, Erica Ehm, Sean Cullen or someone in The Barenaked Ladies.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Beverley Hills 90210 Box Set
Had to laugh. Over at Go Fug Yourself they make fun of Gabrielle Carteris' outfit whilst giving a very funny recap of all the crazy shit that happened to the characters on this show. Read below the picture of On-drea Zuckerman...
Had to laugh. Over at Go Fug Yourself they make fun of Gabrielle Carteris' outfit whilst giving a very funny recap of all the crazy shit that happened to the characters on this show. Read below the picture of On-drea Zuckerman...
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Friday, November 03, 2006
Again With The Walking
I registered for The Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Again! This will be my third walk in four years.
The first year, there was not so much love. I had a bad knee injury. I didn't do a lot of practice walking. I didn't walk with my team. I walked too fast on the first day. I couldn't move on the second day... I took the shuttles liberally.
The second year there was so much more love. My knees were in really good shape (I had my surgery the previous summer). I did some good practice walks. I stayed with my team the whole time. I took it very easy the first day and walked slowly. On the second day I walked with faster team mates and got a whole new perspective. My knees still killed at the end and I got blisters on day two... But I really had the time of my life despite forgetting my toiletries bag and losing my clean underwear at the campsite.
The third year should be a culmination of lessons learned and even more fun! I can't wait!
I registered for The Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Again! This will be my third walk in four years.
The first year, there was not so much love. I had a bad knee injury. I didn't do a lot of practice walking. I didn't walk with my team. I walked too fast on the first day. I couldn't move on the second day... I took the shuttles liberally.
The second year there was so much more love. My knees were in really good shape (I had my surgery the previous summer). I did some good practice walks. I stayed with my team the whole time. I took it very easy the first day and walked slowly. On the second day I walked with faster team mates and got a whole new perspective. My knees still killed at the end and I got blisters on day two... But I really had the time of my life despite forgetting my toiletries bag and losing my clean underwear at the campsite.
The third year should be a culmination of lessons learned and even more fun! I can't wait!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Curiouser and Mysteriouser
I had an email to my hotmail about something I blogged over at The War Canoe... Way back Sean sent me a funny link called TLC Drunko pics: a camp chick's myspace pictures of a party featuring her camp friends. Since at that time I had put up some weird camp-related links, I put Sean's referred link up too. They were so fun, I loved them. Anyhoo, one day I went back to the girl's myspace and found more pics from a Cancun trip, with some funny girl-on-girl makeout pics. I again linked to it from The War Canoe and called it 'Tawingo Girls Gone Wild' and thought absolutely nothing of it.
A few days ago I got an email:
"Hi Betty, I'm a frequent visitor of this website and a former Tawingo staff member. I would like to say that I am really disappointed with your entry "Tawingo Girls Gone Wild" from October 2nd. I'm kind of wondering why you feel the need to look up current tlc "drunko pics", because you clearly do not personally know any of these people, and its is kind of disturbing that you would put up their pictures on a website to be laughed at by older people. Also, this girl's myspace link should for no reason have been put up, and I really do not see why anyone who is presumably over the age of 30 would have any interest in the Cancun spring break adventures of a teenager. I think this is really inappropriate, sad, and none of your business.
-upset staff member"
So many bells...
- didn't recognize the name or email address of the sender
- as a frequent visitor to the blog the sender would know that I do google camp and post what I find; I feel the need... because it's my blog about camp
- I didn't put up the myspacer chick's pictures - she did that herself, um, on the internet; Sean found them; he sent the link to me; I linked it on The War Canoe
- "older people"... implying, the sender is younger maybe?
- why not link to a myspace? The chick's myspace is not private; however, if the myspacer wrote and said, take down the link to my myspace... I would, of course!
- "over the ago of 30", again with the ageism...
- I have interest because these pictures are freakin' hilarious; they titillate and I admire them
- "inappropriate, sad and none of your business", oh chill!
- "-upset staff member", so, current staff now? Maybe was on staff last summer and is planning to return? Waaa?
I checked with camp and they had no record of the email sender's name in the alumni db or the maiden name cross check query.
I wrote back:
"Hi [possibly fake name redacted], I have googled camp occasionally and have posted the links I've found. I didn't post the pics. They are there on the internet for anyone to find - the same with the myspace. I'm personally not laughing maliciously at the people, I just think it's kind of cute, funny, etc., and reminiscent of our own party days. I'm not sure what you want me to do... if anything? Or were you just sounding off? Anyway, feel free to leave a comment on the site expressing your views.
Best wishes"
Haven't heard back.
I had an email to my hotmail about something I blogged over at The War Canoe... Way back Sean sent me a funny link called TLC Drunko pics: a camp chick's myspace pictures of a party featuring her camp friends. Since at that time I had put up some weird camp-related links, I put Sean's referred link up too. They were so fun, I loved them. Anyhoo, one day I went back to the girl's myspace and found more pics from a Cancun trip, with some funny girl-on-girl makeout pics. I again linked to it from The War Canoe and called it 'Tawingo Girls Gone Wild' and thought absolutely nothing of it.
A few days ago I got an email:
"Hi Betty, I'm a frequent visitor of this website and a former Tawingo staff member. I would like to say that I am really disappointed with your entry "Tawingo Girls Gone Wild" from October 2nd. I'm kind of wondering why you feel the need to look up current tlc "drunko pics", because you clearly do not personally know any of these people, and its is kind of disturbing that you would put up their pictures on a website to be laughed at by older people. Also, this girl's myspace link should for no reason have been put up, and I really do not see why anyone who is presumably over the age of 30 would have any interest in the Cancun spring break adventures of a teenager. I think this is really inappropriate, sad, and none of your business.
-upset staff member"
So many bells...
- didn't recognize the name or email address of the sender
- as a frequent visitor to the blog the sender would know that I do google camp and post what I find; I feel the need... because it's my blog about camp
- I didn't put up the myspacer chick's pictures - she did that herself, um, on the internet; Sean found them; he sent the link to me; I linked it on The War Canoe
- "older people"... implying, the sender is younger maybe?
- why not link to a myspace? The chick's myspace is not private; however, if the myspacer wrote and said, take down the link to my myspace... I would, of course!
- "over the ago of 30", again with the ageism...
- I have interest because these pictures are freakin' hilarious; they titillate and I admire them
- "inappropriate, sad and none of your business", oh chill!
- "-upset staff member", so, current staff now? Maybe was on staff last summer and is planning to return? Waaa?
I checked with camp and they had no record of the email sender's name in the alumni db or the maiden name cross check query.
I wrote back:
"Hi [possibly fake name redacted], I have googled camp occasionally and have posted the links I've found. I didn't post the pics. They are there on the internet for anyone to find - the same with the myspace. I'm personally not laughing maliciously at the people, I just think it's kind of cute, funny, etc., and reminiscent of our own party days. I'm not sure what you want me to do... if anything? Or were you just sounding off? Anyway, feel free to leave a comment on the site expressing your views.
Best wishes"
Haven't heard back.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
K-Fed Yo
Not intelligent but sort of funny.
From the Washington Post: K-Fed, for the True Connoisseur (I left out all the annoying links)
Why is this man smiling? (AP)
Can we get a little love for K-Fed? Not only has he been busy single-handedly keeping California populated and proving that fatherhood doesn't have to stop you from partying all night in Vegas, he's also been busy developing his acting career and, yesterday, releasing his very first CD, "Playing With Fire ." Thing is, almost at precisely the same moment -- I know because I timed it with two stopwatches -- his CD was hitting store shelves, concert promoters were canceling his shows due poor ticket sales. And when I say "concert," I mean stints at small nightclubs, not arenas. To be fair, the shows in question are in the backwaters of Cleveland and New York where we know people do not like "sincere urban storytelling and are forcibly locked in their homes after 7 p.m.
I'm not sure how long it takes for sales to register on the Billboard charts, but, well, I'm sure it'll get there soon. One Amazon.com reviewer described the album thusly: "You could almost call it a concept album, the concept being a response to all of the negativity around him -- basically taunting America back." Well, touché.
More importantly, Federline yesterday also confirmed that his newest son is named "Jayden James" He did not, however, confirm that he, like, totally made it up.
And my response, when this inevitably got email to me:
It's funny. When I was in Vegas he was playing (spinning?) at Pure which is the nightclub at Caesar's. We had just come out of the Celine show (nojudgmentt please) and were walking by the doors at Pure when some bouncer-promoter types begged us to come into the club to experience K-Fed but we said no thanks. They offered us free admission and free drinks and everything.
I think we all watched the YouTube for Papazao (or whatever it was called) and all had the same painful, yelping reaction: deep embarrassment, slight titillation and a good laugh.
The thing is, he was great on CSI - that was a really good, creepy episode. And those pics that Lee sent round of him all dressed up? Hot. No question, he's good looking and I dig those dimples.
I'm just not into wigger-ish bro-type guys who are from the armpit of southern cali, consistently wear wife-beaters / off-centre trucker hats / sagging pantaloons, drive lifted trucks, have a meth lab set up in their mom's kitchen and are completely obnoxious partiers who live to party and always scream "PARTAAAY" at the top of their lungs whilst partying. Like, WE GET IT. You're partying! Bro!
But I get his appeal. I do get it. Just someone please tell Britney that you DON'T have to marry every guy you bang, and you DON'T have to have a kid every time you bang a guy.
Not intelligent but sort of funny.
From the Washington Post: K-Fed, for the True Connoisseur (I left out all the annoying links)
Why is this man smiling? (AP)
Can we get a little love for K-Fed? Not only has he been busy single-handedly keeping California populated and proving that fatherhood doesn't have to stop you from partying all night in Vegas, he's also been busy developing his acting career and, yesterday, releasing his very first CD, "Playing With Fire ." Thing is, almost at precisely the same moment -- I know because I timed it with two stopwatches -- his CD was hitting store shelves, concert promoters were canceling his shows due poor ticket sales. And when I say "concert," I mean stints at small nightclubs, not arenas. To be fair, the shows in question are in the backwaters of Cleveland and New York where we know people do not like "sincere urban storytelling and are forcibly locked in their homes after 7 p.m.
I'm not sure how long it takes for sales to register on the Billboard charts, but, well, I'm sure it'll get there soon. One Amazon.com reviewer described the album thusly: "You could almost call it a concept album, the concept being a response to all of the negativity around him -- basically taunting America back." Well, touché.
More importantly, Federline yesterday also confirmed that his newest son is named "Jayden James" He did not, however, confirm that he, like, totally made it up.
And my response, when this inevitably got email to me:
It's funny. When I was in Vegas he was playing (spinning?) at Pure which is the nightclub at Caesar's. We had just come out of the Celine show (nojudgmentt please) and were walking by the doors at Pure when some bouncer-promoter types begged us to come into the club to experience K-Fed but we said no thanks. They offered us free admission and free drinks and everything.
I think we all watched the YouTube for Papazao (or whatever it was called) and all had the same painful, yelping reaction: deep embarrassment, slight titillation and a good laugh.
The thing is, he was great on CSI - that was a really good, creepy episode. And those pics that Lee sent round of him all dressed up? Hot. No question, he's good looking and I dig those dimples.
I'm just not into wigger-ish bro-type guys who are from the armpit of southern cali, consistently wear wife-beaters / off-centre trucker hats / sagging pantaloons, drive lifted trucks, have a meth lab set up in their mom's kitchen and are completely obnoxious partiers who live to party and always scream "PARTAAAY" at the top of their lungs whilst partying. Like, WE GET IT. You're partying! Bro!
But I get his appeal. I do get it. Just someone please tell Britney that you DON'T have to marry every guy you bang, and you DON'T have to have a kid every time you bang a guy.
Work?
Am burning The Descent at work and my computer has no resources left to give. I have crashed Outlook about 4 times trying to respond to email so I am giving up and going to The Bay to buy Auntie Alice a 3/4 length slip in white, size 42 or 44, whatever the hell that means. She is 95 and wears such things. I'm sure I'll figure it out.
And for the second time in the last few days the Starbucks downstairs gave me free coffee. Their store is always in a complete shambles. Last week their tills wouldn't work so you could have whatever you wanted for free. I came back later in the day to pay but it was different people working and they got confused and told me to forget it. This morning there was a colossal flood and though they blocked off the store people (like me) still kept finding a way in. All that was on offer was normal brewed coffee, which is all I ever get.
And Blogger. Won't let me insert pictures into already-published entries. So my Fabio and Oprah pics are all out of context but whatever. Whatever.
Am burning The Descent at work and my computer has no resources left to give. I have crashed Outlook about 4 times trying to respond to email so I am giving up and going to The Bay to buy Auntie Alice a 3/4 length slip in white, size 42 or 44, whatever the hell that means. She is 95 and wears such things. I'm sure I'll figure it out.
And for the second time in the last few days the Starbucks downstairs gave me free coffee. Their store is always in a complete shambles. Last week their tills wouldn't work so you could have whatever you wanted for free. I came back later in the day to pay but it was different people working and they got confused and told me to forget it. This morning there was a colossal flood and though they blocked off the store people (like me) still kept finding a way in. All that was on offer was normal brewed coffee, which is all I ever get.
And Blogger. Won't let me insert pictures into already-published entries. So my Fabio and Oprah pics are all out of context but whatever. Whatever.
